 | Heritage |
Wyong Family History Group
History Week will be celebrated on Saturday September 4th, 2010, with a Colonial Open Day at the Wyong Community Centre, Rankens Court Wyong. Entry is through the grounds of the old Wyong School yard. The day will begin at 9.30am with volunteers dressed in colonial dress ready to help anyone wishing to start their family history.
There will be re-enactments, guest speakers, Antique Evaluations, Devonshire teas, sausage sizzle, stalls, displays and much more, so go along and join members for a good old fashioned fun day.
All enquiries to Secretary, Colleen Wood 4393 3649 or mail to PO Box 247 Wyong 2250. Thanks Colleen.
email secwfhg@westnet.com.au
Brisbane Water Historical Society
The next meeting will be held Tuesday August 17th @ 1pm at the Museum, Henry Kendall Street West Gosford.
Guest speaker will be Derelie Cherry, of Paradise Gardens, Kulnura which is renowned internationally for camellia research.
The group owns and maintains the Henry Kendall Cottage and Museum at 25-27 Henry Kendall Street West Gosford. It is open Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday , 10am to 3pm or by appointment. Phone 4325 2270.
Members are collecting items for the Street Stall to be held Thursday October 21st. If you have any items you would like to pass on, contact Margaret Pearce at 4384 3271 or deliver to the Museum during opening hours.
Shirley Rider is President 4322 2911.
Curator, Hannah Atkin 043 190 981
Wyong District Museum & Historical Society
A very exciting visit to Alison Homestead by descendents of the Alison family recently helped fill in gaps in the family's history and also provided copies of photographs of the family. They were also introduced to members of the Pioneers group
The slab hut, a replica of the first school in Yarramalong, is taking shape with the floor boards down and the walls to be erected soon.
On Tuesday October 12, a "Lone Pine" dedication will be held at Alison Homestead, 1 Cape Road, Wyong.
President is Phillip Morley, Secretary Pat Trott.
Mail to PO Box 241, Wyong 2250. Phone 4352 1886
email <alisonhomestead@westnet.com.au>
Central Coast Family History Society
The Guest speaker at the August 7th meeting, will be Geoff Potter esteemed Local Studies Librarian at Gosford Library who will talk on "Manhunt: the search for Kevin John Simmonds, 1959"
For 37 days in late 1959, Kevin John Simmonds was a name on everyone's lips. The subject of the biggest police manhunt in NSW history, Simmonds used extraordinary cunning and skill to evade capture in the hills around Jilliby and Wyong.
Meetings are held at the Lions Community Hall, Russell Drysdale Street East Gosford. Doors open at 11.30am
The Research Centre in front of the Lions Hall, is a treasure trove of documents, micro film, books, magazines and wonderful helpers who will assist you in finding your forbears. Call 4324 5164, fax 4344 6512 www.centralcoastfhs.org.au
.
Their quarterly journal "The Muster" is full of interesting stories of member's quests to find their ancestors. They also have speciality groups.
National Family History Week will be celebrated July 31 August 8 with a workshop in the Lions Hall on 31st July. Mail to PO Box 4090 East Gosford 2250.
The Old Great North Road
In 1797, nine years after the founding of the Colony of New South Wales, there was pressure in Sydney for new lands to be opened for farming in the fertile Hunter Valley. When the Newcastle penal colony relocated to Port Macquarie in 1821, free settlers moved into the Hunter Valley in numbers. At the time, the rugged and isolated Howes Track (now the Putty Road), and the Parsons or Blaxland Track (part of the Boree Track), provided the only route to the north. Petitions to Governor Sir Thomas Brisbane for better access to the Hunter, resulted in Surveyor Heneage Finch mapping out a new route in 1825. It was to become the Great North Road.
Construction of the road started in 1826. Upon reaching the Hawkesbury River, the ascent from the north bank presented great engineering difficulties. The first attempt to climb out of the valley known as Finchs Line was abandoned because the Surveyor General, Major Thomas Mitchell, considered it too winding, precipitous, narrow and indirect. Mitchell surveyed a new route and work started on the Devines Hill ascent in January 1829.
Convict road and iron gangs were used with up to 350 convicts at work at any one time. They cleared timber and blasted, picked, crushed and shifted stone. The dressed blocks used in the construction weighed up to 600kg.
The road was a failure due to it by-passing existing settlements and had no permanent watercourses. It was long, lonely and difficult for bullock teams with heavy loads. In mid 1831 steam ships overtook the road with services between Sydney and the Hunter Valley reducing travel time from several days to less than 24 hours.
In 1836, as the few remaining gangs were completing the last northern sections of the road, it had been almost entirely abandoned as a route to the Hunter.
43kms of the road between Wisemans Ferry and Mount Manning were closed to unauthorised vehicles, to protect the remaining convict works and to allow for gradual restoration.
The National Parks and Wildlfe Service now manages 15 km of the road within Dharug National Park. Restoration of sections of the road have been undertaken and conservation management planned.
(this information is taken from the NP&WS brochure obtained from the office at Suites 36-38, 207 Albany Street North, Gosford. Phone 4320 4200.
Did you know Seniors can obtain a free parking permit
for National Parks, from this office?